UBL's submission to the CCTS Implementation Verification request

Statement of Intent , 21st April 2003

Document identifier:

wd-lcsc-cctsimplemenationverification-v0.2-

Author:

Tim McGrath <tmcgrath@portcomm.com.au>

Abstract:

On 17 March 2003, UN/CEFACT's Technologies and Methodologies Group (TMG) announced the requirements for implementation verification of its Core Component Technical Specification, Version 1.9, as part of their Open Development Process.

Under this process all interested parties are encouraged to verify the validity of the Core Component Technical Specification through actual implementation. This step will be completed when least at two independent implementations report successful implementation, which is then confirmed by the project team.

Implementers interested in participating in UN/CEFACT Open Development Process "Implementation Verification" step were invited to lodge a submission of intent.

This document marks the response of the OASIS Universal Business Language Technical Committee to that request.

Figure 1. 

Status:

This is not intended as a standard.


Table of Contents

1. Statement of Scope
2. Explicit inclusions
3. Explicit exclusions
4. Normative sections of the CCTS being verified
5. Discovered Core Components

Appendixes

A. Revision History

1. Statement of Scope

The Universal Business Language (UBL) Library is:

  • An XML-based business language

  • Built upon existing EDI and XML business-to-business vocabularies

  • Applicable across all industry sectors and domains of electronic trade

  • Designed to be modular, reusable, and extensible

  • Non-proprietary and royalty-free

  • Intended to become an international standard for electronic commerce

The Library Content part of UBL specifies a library of business information entities to be used in the construction of business documents together with a set of common XML business documents assembled from those entities.

2. Explicit inclusions

The Library has been designed as a collection of object classes and associations expressed as a conceptual model. Specific document types are then created from these business information entities (BIES) by assembling them into a hierarchy. These hierarchical models are then transformed using the UBL Naming and Design rules into XML Schema syntax. We explicitly produce our conceptual models in the form of tabular form as well as in UML models that can be expressed as Class Diagrams.

The specific context adopted for the current UBL release 0p70 is based on a typical trading cycle in the supply chain of goods. This model addresses the requirements of a basic, usable trading cycle from Order to Invoice between Buyer and Seller. It includes specifications for:

  • Order

  • Order Response (simple)

  • Order Response (complex)

  • Order Cancellation

  • Despatch Advice

  • Receipt Advice

  • Invoice

The design of this particular set of UBL documents also allows it to be used as a basis for extension to create more function-rich, but separately defined, scenarios.

The business need for extensions and refinements will be described using a "context mechanism" based on that found in the UN/CEFACT Core Components Technical Specification, as it emerges, together with earlier work done under the auspices of the ebXML project.

The UBL Library is intended to be implemented in XML and described using W3C Schema (XSD). As such, the UBL Library is a syntax dependent set of BIEs. We define meta-data that suits their implementation as XML objects.

3. Explicit exclusions

UBL assumes each core component has neutral context, or is a de-contextualized BIE. We view Core Components as BIEs without any context. By doing this we avoid the need to define the ‘core components' separately. These can be derived by identifying all BIEs that can be used without any context.

Futhermore, it is our intention to submit all such de-contextualized BIEs as candidate Core Components to the UN/CEFACT Harmonisation Group.

4. Normative sections of the CCTS being verified

The OASIS UBL Technical Committee intends to implement the following normative specifications of the CCTS...

  • 6: Technical Details.Core Components and Context

  • 6.1.4.2 Rules for Business Information Entities

  • 6.1.4.2.1 Business Information Entity Dictionary Information

  • 6.1.4.2.2 Business Information Entity General Rules

  • 6.1.4.2.3 Business Information Entity Rules for Definitions

  • 6.1.4.2.4 Rules for Business Information Entity Dictionary Entry Names

  • 6.1.4.2.5 Rules for Business Information Entity Business Terms

  • 6.1.4.3 Rules for Data Types

  • 6.1.4.3.1 Data Type Dictionary Information

  • 6.1.4.3.2 Data Type General Rules

  • 6.1.4.3.3 Data Type Rules for Definitions

  • 6.1.4.3.4 Rules for Data Type Dictionary Entry Names

  • 6.1.4.3.5 List of Permissible Representation Terms

  • 6.2 Context

  • 6.2.1 Overview of Context Specification

  • 6.2.1.1 Context Categories

  • 6.2.1.2 Constraint Language

  • 6.2.1.3 Syntax Binding

  • 6.2.2 Approved Context Categories

  • 6.2.2.1 Business Process Context

  • 6.2.2.2 Product Classification Context

  • 6.2.2.3 Industry Classification Context

  • 6.2.2.4 Geopolitical Context

  • 6.2.2.5 Official Constraints Context

  • 6.2.2.6 Business Process Role Context

  • 6.2.2.7 Supporting Role Context

  • 6.2.2.8 System Capabilities Context

  • 6.2.3 Context Values

  • 6.2.4 Core Components Context Constraints Language

  • 6.2.4.1 Assembly Construct

  • 6.2.4.2 ContextRules Construct

  • 6.2.4.3 Output Constraints

  • 6.2.4.4 Ordering and Application

  • 7: Technical Details.Storage and Metadata

  • 7.3 Stored Context

  • 7.3.1 Stored Business Contexts

  • 7.3.2 Stored Classification Schemes

  • 7.3.3 Stored Context Values

  • 7.4 Stored Business Information Entities

  • 7.4.1 Stored Aggregate Business Information Entities [NB title is incorrect – not just Aggregates]

  • 7.4.2 Stored Aggregate Business Information Entities

  • 7.4.3 Stored Business Information Entity Properties [NB should be part of 7.4.1.]

  • 7.4.4 Stored Basic Business Information Entity Properties

  • 7.4.5 Stored Association Core Component Properties

  • 7.4.6 Stored Basic Business Information Entities [NB repeats 7.4.1.]

  • 7.4.7 Stored Association Business Information Entities

  • Section 8: Technical Details. Permissible Representation Terms and Approved Core Component Type, Content, and Supplementary Components

  • Section 9: Definition of Terms

5. Discovered Core Components

UBL is currently reviewing its 0p70 release and as such is in a state of flux. We will be submitting the 1p00 release in the middle of 2003 as an OASIS standard. Once approved as an OASIS Technical Specification, we plan to submit all de-contextualized BIEs as candidate core components to the UN/CEFACT Harmonisation Group.

A. Revision History

Revision 0115 April 2003tmcg
used docbook4.2